Stúdentablaðið - 01.12.2008, Blaðsíða 25

Dear reader, welcome to
STUDENTABLAÐIÐ EN 25
THE ANGLOPHONE
Lets start off with an interview and two articles, and then we will ei\joy translations of some interesting articles
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Universal Christmas
Christmas is not celebrated in the same way
everywhere. Icelander Sigrún Antonsdóttir,
Italian Maria Guidi and German Stefan Drechsler
told Stúdentablaðið about Chrismas traditions in their
countries.
What kind of food do you eat on Christmas Eve?
Sigrún: On the 24th of December, we normally eat rjúpa (ptarmigan),
which is a bird that is white in the wintertime and brown in the
summertime. It is also quite common in Iceland to eat lamb. However,
eating rjúpa is a very strong tradition. A couple of years ago, it was
banned to hunt this bird, and the black market for rjúpa was
flourishing.
Maria: On Christmas Eve, we normally eat cod flsh or stock fish. We
also have a cake called panettone. It is shaped like a big muffin and has
dried grapes inside.
Stefan: Around 6 p.m., my family starts eating. Normally, Germans eat
duck or lamb, but I do not because I am a vegetarian. In Germany it is
quite common to eat a cookie called Lebkuchen. We make a lot of
cookies, mainly consisting of sugar and honey, and many people drink
hot wine.
Sigrún: In Iceland, we drink malt og appelsín and jólaöl. We eat piparkökur,
laufabrauð and a lot of mandarins.
Maria Guidi (20), Jtalian
What is special about your country’s celebration?
Maria: I don’t know if it is special, but normally, every family has a
big Christmas cradle, a presepe (créche). Not only the cradle, but like
a big scene with small figures of Joseph and Maria, the sheep, the
farmers, the three kings and so on. Some have really big ones outside
in the garden, and some have smaller ones inside the house. In my
city, some are made out of sand and situated on the beaches.
Sigrún: In Iceland, we don’t believe in one Santa Claus, we believe in
13 evil brothers. When you are young, your parents might tell you
stories about the evil brothers that will come and eat you if you don’t
behave. It’s qvdte common that the children put a shoe in the window,
and it is believed that one brother will come and give you a gift. And
on Christmas Eve, we put a candle in the garden for the elves.
Stefan: The Christmas celebrations in Germany depend on where in
the country you are from. My farnily is not a hard core Christian family,
so it’s a relaxed celebration. My mum and sister go to church, and I
often go to a special party with live concerts.
Sigrún Antonsdóttir (22), Icelandic
Do natives of your country normally go to church during Christmas?
Maria: Yes, everybody does. It doesn’t have to be exactly on Christmas Eve,
but yeah, everybody goes to church.
Stefan: My family goes to church the 25th of December, and it is quite
common in Germany to go to the church.
Sigrún: I think most people in Iceland don’t go to church on Christmas
Eve, actually.
Do you celebrate any other days during the Christmas period?
Sigrún: We celebrate the 6th of January. It is the day of the elves, and it is
believed that cows can speak and things like that.
Maria: We celebrate the 6th of January, because this was the day when the
three kings saw Jesus for the first time. In the night, an old woman is supposed
to fly on her broom, and she is coming to all the houses. If you have
been nice, she will put sweets and fruits in your sock, but if you
haven’t, you will only get coal.
Sigrún, do you think this Christmas will be different in Iceland
because of the íinaneial crisis?
Sigrún: Being together with your family and the traditions will stfil be
the same, but for instance, this year, my friends and my family have
agreed not to buy any gifts for each other, only for the children.
Merry Christmas,
Gleðileg jól,
Frohe Wihnachten,
Buon Natale,
Feliz Navidad,
og God Jul!
When do you open the presents?
Stefan: After the meal.
Maria: We start around midnight in Italy.
Sigrún: Most Icelanders opens the gifts after the big meal.
Stefan Drechsler (24), German
B Ida Lundgren